Direction-indicator for vehicles.



II. II BROYER, G. CAMBEILH & I. PAPALE.

DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I3, I9I5.

Mont-0d Feb. 8, I916 INVENTORS hFfiMA/V uan a YER EEUREE [A Mas/LJUSEP/f PAP/LE I STATEh HERMAN BROYER, GEORGE CAILEBEILH, AND JOSEPHPAPALE, GE SAN FRANCISCO,

' CALIFORNIA.

DIRECTION-INDICATOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Lct'tcrsiatenh Patented Feb. 8, ill 6..

Application filed May 13, 1915. Serial No. 27,845.

To ((U whom it may concern:

lle it known that we, Hnnzuas H. llnornn, (liconon Cmmmmr, and dosnruPuma), citizens of the United States, rcsiding at San Francisco, in thecounty of San Francisco and State of California, lune invented new anduseful linprovcmeats in lJll'QCtlOil-IlldlCfltOl'Sfl)! Vehicles, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, easilyoperated and eficc; tive device whereby the driver of a vehicle canindicate to those in front or behind, either in the day time or atnight, the direction in which he intends to drive the vehicle. v

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of anautomobile equipped with our invention; Fig. a sectioral view of a motorcasing looking from the front; Fig. 3 is a similar iew looking iron: therear; Fig. 4 is diagrammatic view of the electrical connections; Fig. 5,sis a broken sectional view of an arm; Fig. (3 is a broken side view ofthe end of said arm; Fig. 7 is a side view of a yoke; Fig. 8 is asectional view of a reflector.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates the wind shield of an automobile.On each side of the frame 2 of said wind shield are clamped the sidemembers 3 of a yoke, -'l-, to which pii'otally connected. by a shaft 6p; sing: through holes in said yoke, an outer yoke T, the centralportion of which secured to a cylindrical motor casing S. Springs 9, 10are secured at theirinnor ends to a central collar 12 on said shaft andat their outer ends to the side members of the yoke l, these springstending lo turn the yoke i -in opposite directions with respect to theyoke l, and therefore both springs. acting together, to maintain theyoke 7 in a central position. The purpose of this arrangement is so thatif the arm hereinafter described, carried with said casing R. whenextending: in a horizontal position therefrom, is struck or strikes someobject, it will not thereby be injured, but will be permitted to swingabout the vertical shaft 6, and afterward will be brought back to itscentral position relatively to said shaft. The front side of saidcylindrical casing is closed by a cover 13, the center of which isaportured, and from'which, around said aperture, extends a conicalleading through said aperture.

outwardly flaring reflector 1%, having a lens 15, closing the front endof said reflector. In said conical reflector is an electric lamp l6supplied with electricity by wires l7 Said cover has also therethroughan eccentric round hole 1h, through which extends rcarwardly a round hubor loss 19 insulatingmaterial on the lower end an arm 1, the front faceof which. secured hy screws to a wearing plate Said boss is centrallyaperturcd to permit the passage therethrough of a shaft 23, adapted tobe rotated as hereinafter described, which. shaft has a square end 24.-adaptcd to enter a square hole in the arm 21, and a threaded recess toreceive a screw 26 screwed thereinto and having a square head 27 whichbears againstthe face of said plate 9.2. Said arm 21 normally extends ina vertical. position and is painted a'conspicuous color, as red, and. bymeans to be presently described, when the driver of the automobile orother vehicle intends to turn to the right or to the left, he causes thearm 21 on the right-hand side or on the left-hand side, as

the case may be, to swing into a horizontal outwardly extendingposition, thus coinmunieating his intentions to those approaching himeither from the front or from behind. The outer end of the arm is formedwith a round hole in which is secured a cylindrical casing 28 in whicheasing is an electric lamp "29 supplied with electricity by wires 31 andin the ends of easing are red or other colored lenses 1)-. Said wires 31are electrically connected to conducting plates,'one near the center,and the other ill on the circumference of the boss 19 of insulatingmaterial. The

roni'lucting' plate 33 is in contact at all. times with the shaft. 23,while the conducting plate ill is adapted to contact, in a certainposition of said shaft, with a spring contact 36. Two of these springcontacts, on opposite sides of the shaft, are shown, so as toenable'either arm to be used on either side of the vehicle. When the armis in an upright position. the conducting plate 84: is not in contactwith the spring contact 36, but is brought into contact therewith whenthe arm is turned to a horizontally outwardly extending position. Insaid cylindrical casing is an electric motor 38, the shaft of which isoperativcly connected with the shait 2 1 by a reducing speed gearing 39.

To said shaft '23 is rigidly secured a fork i1, hetwe n the, prongs-ofwhich fork is a stud 42 on an arm 4 loosely mounted on the shat". 2 Saidstud .42 is connected to one end oi a coiled spring to, the other end ofwhich is connected. to a stationary stud-l7, said spring, in its centralposition, passing over the pivotal center i of a switch -ll oiinsulating material. Said switch is in the form of a flat, circularsegl'ilt tit and on the opposite margins thereoii are secured pairs ofcontacts i3. 'l'hese contacts are each adapted to clos the circuitshetween pairs of spring contacts 31. The rireuits through the contacts51, and through the armature and iield oi' the motor are so arranged. asclearly shown in Fig. -i, that. when the switch closes the ircuits onone side. the motor rotates in one direction, and when it closes illUHon the other side. it rotates in the opposite direction. Said iruits arealso wnne ted, as shown in said iigure. with contact .33. iii. of athree-way switch 3. suitably located. as on the sterring handle oi' theautomohile. fork 57 is se ured on an extension oi said arm and eithertine oi said fork is adapted to engage a tud .38 on said switch.

The following is the mode oi' operation oi' the device. Supposing thatthe auto lnohile has been traveling straight ahead. then th: arm 21 isvertical. and. ii at night time. the lamp I is lighted, while thecirellit through the. lamp 2! is hroken. owing to the conducting plate.ill on the periphery oi the boss 1! b ing out oi' (conta t. with thespring contaet i The switch ii is on the side to which it has been lastshii'ted, closing the circuits through the pairs of spring contacts 51on that side. it the. operator wishes to turn to the right, 'i'orinstance, he, actuates the. switch 56 eorre poinling to the motor on theright, and thereby con'ipletely closes the circuit, whieh was part l vclosed hy the spring contacts 51. The motor then energized. and itsshai't rotates. causing the 'iorlt it. also to rotate and ahut against.the Stud 42 and then causing the stud i to revolve with said shait ahoutthe center oi the. switch. The spring i resistsv this revolution, hutwhen the. stud i! has passed the. line through the stati narv stud "i?and the pivot oi the switch ii. th -pring i assists fh fll zt'zii'lll'lt. oi the r-tud i3. and thereupon the switch 4 1 immediately moves soas to break the circuits through the spring contacts 51. on the. leltand to close the circuits through the spring contacts 31 on the right.The spring it; now completes the rotary movement of the shaft 2 whichcontinues until the arm 21 has moved into a horizontal outwardlyextending position, in which position, as already explained, the circuitis closed through the lamp When the operator wishes to go straight aheadagain. he,

operates the three-way {witch St) in the other (hrection, and the arm 1moves to a vertical position and the circuit through the. lamp 2.) isagain l)l')l\'(ll. it is to he understood that it is not absolutelynet-essary that the lamp at the pivotal axis of the arm should heelectric, but it may also he a gas or an oil lamp.

\Ve claim:

1. In a direction indicating device ior vehicles, the comhinaiion ol' anarm pivoted to swing ahout. a horizontal longitudinal axis, a lamplocated at the pivotal point of said arijn, an electric lamp carried bythe end of said arm. means i'or turning said arm from a vertical to ahorizontal position. and means wherehy the circuit through the latterlamp is automati ally closed when thearm assumes a horizontal positionand is automatically opened when it assumes a vertical position.

in a direction indicating device for 'vehicles, thev comhination oi' anarm pivoted to swing about a horizontal longitudinal aXis, a lamplocated at th pivotal point oi" said arm, an electric lamp carried bythe end of said arm. said lamp heing unohstructed both. at the, frontand atthe 1' -ar. means for turning said arm i'rom a vertical to ahorizontal position, and means wherehv the circuit through the latterlamp is automatically closed when the arm assumes a horizontal positionand is autoniati i-tlly opened when it assumes a. vertical position.

In testimony \vhereoi' we have hereunto set our hands in the presence,ot' two suhscribing witnesses.

GEORGE (JAMIHCILH.

Nil

